# Wibbell++ ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2017 - **BGG Rating**: 7.3 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-18 (Best with: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) - **Duration**: 2-45 min - **Weight**: 1.20 / 5 - **Designers**: Aaron Reading, Alex Cannon, Andrew Dennison, Bez Shahriari, Christopher Chung, Danny Goodisman, David Brain, Ian Vincent, Jessica Eccles, Jo Kelly, Kirsten Lunde, Lewis Shaw, Mark Stockton-Pitt, Paul Mansfield, Rafi Arkin, Sebastian Bleasdale, Tom Coldron, Xate Mac - **Artists**: Bez Shahriari - **Publishers**: Stuff By Bez - **Categories**: Abstract Strategy, Action / Dexterity, Card Game, Educational, Game System, Humor, Party Game, Trivia, Word Game - **Mechanics**: Acting, Market, Memory, Open Drafting, Pattern Recognition, Player Judge, Push Your Luck, Real-Time, Roles with Asymmetric Information, Set Collection, Solo / Solitaire Game, Speed Matching, Storytelling ## Verdict If you love fast word games and want a deck that spawns dozens of variants, Wibbell++ hits the spot.varied mechanicsshort playtimehigh replayfun cooperativeheavy vocabularyrules scattered onlinelimited to language speakersRECOMMENDED ## Description Wibbell++ is a flexible game system built around a single deck of cards, each bearing a pair of letters, a border pattern and a numeric value. From this core, more than a dozen distinct games spring forth, all released for free online every August 1st. The flagship "Wibbell" is a fast‑paced word‑shouting game – call out words containing the indicated letters and, as you collect cards, the difficulty ramps up, giving others a chance to catch up. Other titles range from "Phrasell", which challenges you to invent short phrases, to "Grabell", a test of pattern recognition and manual dexterity, to "Alphabeticell", where you build alphabetical sequences, and "Faybell", a cooperative storytelling activity that uses the cards as narrative prompts. There are cooperative quests ("Questabell"), abstract runs like "Puzzell" (short runs and emptying your hand) and "Biddabell" (set collection meets simultaneous auction). Some variants are solitaire, such as "Mickell/Muckell", where a single player works on three words at once. The system packs mechanics like Acting, Market, Memory, Open Drafting, Pattern Recognition, Player Judge, Push‑Your‑Luck, Real‑Time, Asymmetric Information roles, Set Collection, Speed Matching and Storytelling. Physically it’s just a light deck of cards, but the need for near‑complete language knowledge can be a hurdle for non‑native speakers. Designed for 2‑18 players, rounds last 2‑45 minutes and the very low complexity (weight 1.2) makes it friendly to beginners while still appealing to fans of party, educational or word games. Although the annual design contest (2017‑2023) is on pause, the website still provides extra rules and new titles, keeping the ELL deck fresh and fun. ## FAQ ### How many players can join? From 2 up to 18 players, depending on which variant you pick. ### How long does a game last? Playtime ranges from 2 to 45 minutes; some games are lightning‑fast, others a bit longer. ### Do I need a lot of components? No, the only physical component is the deck of cards; the rest is covered by the online rules. ### Is a strong language grasp required? Yes, most variants demand a solid vocabulary in the language you’re playing. ### Is there a solo mode? Certain variants, like Mickell/Muckell, are designed for solo play. ### Can I design my own games? Absolutely – the ELL deck is a sandbox, and the community often shares home‑brew ideas on the official site.